


To Be Free

by PleasantlyToasted



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-11-22 23:49:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11390961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PleasantlyToasted/pseuds/PleasantlyToasted
Summary: Allura is a gift from the Gods to a valiant war hero. The hero moves to the capital when the king gets word of the gift from the Gods. He and the king make a plan to lock her up so she’s not tainted by the world. She prays to the Gods and they grant her a magical cloak to hide her true identity. She escapes to the neighboring and meets Shay, a miner’s daughter.





	To Be Free

**Author's Note:**

> Alfor is the valiant war hero. Coran is the king, even though it was never mentioned.  
> Shay is trans.  
> I wrote this for Voltrans Girls Week.

The kingdom of Altea won a long and brutal war; many valiant soldiers returned to their homes while the king and his scribes dealt with a peace treaty. One valiant soldier stood out among all the rest. His name was Alfor. He and his wife had been unable to bear any children. In order to reward him for his prowess, the Gods bestowed upon him a gift: a young star from the night sky. They transformed this star into a young child so that the man and his wife would get to raise a child. The two named her Allura. 

Word about this spread around until it reached the king. The man was made a member of the royal knights and was given a new home in the palace. Alfor, his wife, and the child all moved to the palace and were greeted graciously by the king’s men.

Alfor and the king decided to keep Allura locked in the palace. The world was a cruel place and they didn’t want her to be tainted by its impurity. Many people challenged this decision, wanting to steal the beautiful star for themselves. In turn, Allura was guarded around the clock and not allowed to wander the palace alone.

 

As she grew older, she tired of this lifestyle. She tried to convince her father to let her out, to let her come and go as she pleased. She was nearly eighteen and still hadn’t left the castle. Her father told her that she’d marry as soon as he could find someone he trusted enough to wed his precious daughter to. Even then, her suitor would move into the castle with them. She feared she was doomed to live out eternity in the awful palace. 

She prayed to the Gods, begging and begging for them to help her find a way to live freely. The Gods, knowing it was futile to keep her locked away any longer, gifted her with a magical cloak that hid her identity. It hid her beauty away from the world to protect her from harm.

She escaped into the night without being spotted by the guards. After all, she had had plenty of years to learn their routes and blind spots. She wandered for days, taking in the sights. Having had forgotten to bring currency with her, she exchanged her earrings for currency. It was enough it get her food and water. She kept the cloak around her at all times.

Word had spread about her disappearance. Her father and mother were heart broken. She heard people whispering on the streets, contemplating where she might have gone.

“Maybe someone broke in and stole her,” a man suggested. Some people nodded.

“Bet she’d make anyone rich,” a man said.

“Perhaps she ran away to find her prince,” a young girl offered. People scoffed at her.

“Maybe the Gods stole her back,” a woman said. People rubbed their chins, considering it.

Allura was afraid to reveal her identity in fear that they’d haul her back off to the castle or worse, like the things she’d read about in those books.

Having not slept since she left the castle, Allura felt as if she might faint at any moment. She had little money left and no where to stay. She couldn’t possibly return to the castle like this.

She felt her knees give out from under her. Everything went black as she hit her head on the road. “Miss!” a voice called out right before she lost consciousness.

 

The faint sound of arguing reached her ears as she awoke. There was a slight ringing in her ears, but she could make out the words. “I am taking care of her, dad,” a muffled voice said.

“That’s a woman’s job, Makir. Let your mother handle it,” a louder voice said.

“I have told you before, dad: I am  _ not _ your son. I  _ am _ your daughter,” the first voice said. Stomping footsteps grew louder as they approached the door to the room she was in. “And it’s Shay, not Makir.”

The door flies open and slams shut as quickly as it opened. A figure slumped over in a chair. Allura assumed that this figure was Shay, the first voice she had heard when she woke up. She tried to sit up but she suddenly felt dizzy and plopped back into the bed. “Ow,” she muttered.

“Oh! You are awake!” Shay said. “Be careful, you haven’t eaten in awhile. You must feel horrible.” Shay handed Allura a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted. “I will get you some soup shortly. It is on the stove now, but I shall wait until my father leaves.”

“Is that the man you were speaking to?” Allura asked, voice hoarse.

Shay sighed deeply. “Yes, that would be him.”

“He called you his son, but you said you were his daughter. I don’t understand,” Allura said, curious.

“I was born as his son, this much is true. Well, he thinks of he as his son. However, I am not a boy. I feel it within me that I am a girl.” Shay handed her another glass of water. “He says I will never find a wife if I behave this way. Perhaps he speaks the truth.” Shay sighed, casting her eyes downwards.

“I don’t understand,” Allura said. “If you feel you are a woman, that’s what you are, no? It shouldn’t be for other people to decide. He’s dumb for not seeing that.”

Shay locked eyes with Allura. “Thank you for saying that. Oh, what shall I call you?”

Allura thought for a moment. Surely Shay knew who she was as her cloak was sitting at the edge of the bed. “...Allura,” she said.

“What a beautiful name,” Shay said. “I hear my father leaving now, I shall you fetch you some soup.”

Shay left, closing the door behind her. Allura pondered in silence while she waited for Shay to return. Shay most know who she was. Everyone in the capital and most people in the kingdom knew who she was. Shay returned and placed the soup on the bedside table. She helped Allura sit up in the bed, then handed her the soup.

“Careful, it is hot,” Shay warned. Allura blew on it cautiously before eating it.

When she finished, Shay took the bowl and handed her another glass of water. Allura took it and drank it while Shay went into the kitchen.

They spent the following days talking with each other. Allura felt a closeness to Shay that she could not describe. She felt a blush across her face and frequently saw one on Shay. Maybe they were both getting sick. Shay stumbled over her words and kept avoiding eye contact with Allura. Was Shay mad at her? 

Allura told Shay of her princess status and Shay was shocked. “No wonder you were so beautiful,” she said. “‘Tis a shame to hide that beauty under that cloak.” A blush crossed both of their faces and Shay turned her head away from Allura.

Allura went back to hiding underneath her cloak when they went on walks around the town at night. She enjoyed Shay’s company, she realized. Shay couldn’t possibly feel the same way, could she? She hadn’t brought it up, so Allura kept her feelings to herself.

 

It was time, she decided, to return to the palace. She didn’t want her father thinking she was dead.

“Must you go?” Shay asked. Allura stood next to the door of the room she’d been staying in all this time. Shay had made she was was prepared to get back, although she packed Allura’s things rather reluctantly. 

“You know that I must. My father and the king must be waiting for me.”

“I do not wish for you to leave, princess.”

Allura smiled as an idea crossed her mind. “Come with me, then,” she said. She reached out her hand for Shay to take.

Shay giggled. “I must pack first, then.”

 

Allura took off her cloak as she approached the palace gates. The men standing guards gasped, quickly opening the gates for her. “Welcome home, princess,” they said in unison. She walked past them elegantly, her arm linked with Shay’s.

Before she could even reach the gates, her father and mother ran to greet her. Shay moved aside so they could wrap her in a hug. The three fell to the ground, her mother crying tears of joy.

“I’ve missed you so, my darling girl,” her father said. Her mother nodded in agreement, tightening her hold on Allura.

“I’m sorry, father. I shouldn’t have run away,” Allura said.

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” her mother said.

Shay felt awkward standing around. She felt out of place, like she was viewing something she was not meant to see. She shifted awkwardly on her feet. “Um, princess…” she said.

Allura freed herself from her parents grip and walked over to Shay. She linked her arm with her again, looking her parents straight in the eyes. “This is Shay. She took care of me while I was out. I was sick and she made me better. She should live here at the castle,” Allura said.

Her parents’ eyes widened in disbelief. “We cannot let some stranger into the palace,” her father argued.

“She took care of me and I enjoy her company. She’s good at healing and medicine, surely the king will want to have her around,” Allura said with a smirk on her face.

“Very well, we shall go talk to the king,” her father said. He turned around and headed back inside, his wife following behind him after she ushered Allura and Shay to follow. Shay began to walk forward, but Allura help her back.

“Yes, princess?” Shay asked. Allura could see the confusion in her eyes. “Is something the matter?”

“No… just… I…” Allura suddenly didn’t know how to phrase her words. She couldn’t look Shay in the eyes when she began talking again. “I… like you, Shay. This time together has been wonderful and I just wanted you to know that.”

“You… like me?” Shay asked.

“Yes, and I’d like to spend more time with you. Hopefully you will stay around so we can still see each other… and maybe…  _ you _ could be the person I wed.” Allura looked down at her hands, examining every minor detail. She was afraid to look up and see Shay’s reaction. She felt her face grow warm.

Shay turned so they were face to face. Gently, she lifted Allura’s chin with her hand so that they were looking each other in the eyes. They both were equally red in the face.

“Of course, princess,” Shay said. 

She cupped Allura’s face with both her hands and gently kissed her lips. As she pulled away, they both smiled at each other. Allura laughed, happy in the ways that things turned out. She pulled Shay into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on tumblr @keithismothman


End file.
